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| Don Jackson Collection -- LLF Library |
"Wilson Department Store -- Lewis Wilson had this photo taken of a men's department store. The store shows suits on a wall and also hats." -- Library caption.
Okay, I'll admit it -- this one has me completely stumped. I do not recall a Wilson Department Store, nor do I recognize any of the people in this photo. Perhaps this is from a neighboring town or perhaps I just have a huge gap in my knowledge of the merchants in the area?
Help is appreciated on this one! Here or on Facebook.
If in Brookhaven, "Lewis" does not ring a bell with me either. Could this have possibly
ReplyDeleteformerly been Gulley's Mens Store or Hodges Mens
Store? Both were on Cherokee Street.
I am wondering if this store might have been in McComb(or even Hazlehurst?)..I remember several nice and fairly large stores in the downtown area of McComb in the late fifties/early sixties.
ReplyDeleteI am told by a Facebook friend that he actually worked in this store in 1965 and it was indeed in downtown Brookhaven, exactly where I have not been be able to determine. Others also think it was in Jackson and possibly Hazlehurst, but the FB friend is adamant that it was in Brookhaven. Now I'm really curious just where it might have been and how long it lasted.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking that this store is where Gulley's used to be, approximately where Smith's Jewelers is today, if I have my bearings right.
ReplyDeleteMy father, Lindsey Head, went to work in this store, Lewis Wilson's of Brookhaven, in 1958 and bought the store from Lewis Wilson in 1960 or 1961. He changed the name to Lindsey Head's. It was located between two jewelry stores, one of them being Smith's Jewelers, on W Cherokee street. Hodges Mens Store was down the street on the corner close to the railroad tracks. In 1963, as best as he can remember, the store burned in the night due to an electrical fire. He rebuilt the store but was unable to secure the funds for inventory and had to close it. He identified the men in the picture as being Mr. Thames, a state representative, who worked there part time, on the left, Earl Hobbs in the middle, he didn't recognize the boy, and Larry Doer on the right. This picture was taken before 1958 when he went to work there. Lindsey now lives in Madison, MS and is 85 years old. I am his youngest son, Harold.
ReplyDeleteMy father remembered Mr. Thames first name, Ray. He also told me that Lewis Wilson, Ralph Bell, and Larry Doer bought the store from George Gulley Sr. which was Gulley's. He then bought into the store in 1958 and eventually bought the others out.
ReplyDelete